Galactans and arabinogalactans are present in most plants as components of pectic hairy regions. They are usually attached to O-4 of rhamnose residues in the rhamnogalacturonan backbone of the hairy region. The distribution and composition of the sidechains vary considerably between different cell types and physiological states, but in general about half of the rhamnosyl units in the rhamnogalacturonan regions have sidechains attached. The galactan sidechains are in most plants type 1 galactans, which are composed of .beta.-1,4 linked galactopyranose with some branching points and a length of up to 60 saccharide units (DP60). Arabinofuranose residues or short arabinan oligomers can be attached to the galactan chain at the O-3 of the galactosyl unit, thus named arabinogalactan. Galactans (or arabinogalactans) have an important function in the primary cell wall, where they interact with other structural components of the cell wall such as xyloglucans or arabinoxylans. Thus they possibly serve to anchor the pectic matrix in the cell wall. Furthermore, they increase the hydration and waterbinding capacity and decrease inter-chain association between pectin polymers which is thought to be of importance for modulation of porosity and passive diffusion. (Carpita & Gibeaut, 1993, Plant J.,3, 1-30; O'Neill et al.,1990, Methods in Plant Biochemistry, 415-441; Selvendran, 1983, The Chemistry of Plant Cell Walls. Dietary Fibers; Hwang et al., Food Hydrocolloids, 7, 39-53; Fry, 1988, The growing Plant Cell Wall: Chemical and Metabolic Analysis).
b-1,4-galactanases (E.C.3.2.1.89) degrade galactans (and arabinogalactans) and have been purified from a variety of microbial sources (Nakano et al., 1985, Agric. Biol. Chem.,49, 3445-3454; Emi & Yamamoto, 1972, Agric. Biol. Chem., 36, 1945-1954; Araujo & Ward, 1990, J. Ind. Microbiol., 6, 171-178; Van De Vis et al., 1991, Carbohydr. Polym., 16, 167-187).
Even though a number of b-1,4-galactanases have been purified, only one has been cloned and DNA sequenced.
WO 92/13945 decribe cloning and DNA sequencing of a fungal b-1,4-galactanase (Aspergillus aculeatus)